The Dons head to McGinn's former club Celtic for the season opener and the ex-Hoops man is looking for a big victory on day one although he admits he has nothing to prove from a personal point of view.

"I enjoyed my time there but I'm a professional and I'm not going to be trying to prove anything to anyone. I want to do well in an Aberdeen shirt," he said.

"It couldn't have worked out much better than getting Celtic away in my first game. It will be nice to go to Parkhead and see all the boys again but my main concern is Aberdeen as I play for them now."

And McGinn has been buoyed by the pre-season for of Aberdeen who have produced some good performances against German clubs Werder Bremen and St Pauli recently.

"We've got a good squad of players and we showed against Bremen and St Pauli we can compete at the highest level," he added. "If we can get some consistency, who knows?

"Maybe we will be able to push right up the table.

"We are improving as a team with every game. Celtic will have a lot of possession so Werder Bremen was a good game to prepare and it can only stand us in good stead."

About the author

Andrew Slevison is an avid sports fan, particularly of the world game. The Melbourne, Australia native, who has spent time living in London and travelling South America, takes a keen interest in the English Premier League and Major League Soccer and rates his best live footballing moment as the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil.